Inmate drowns during prison's dog-training exercise

A 48-year-old convict participating in a dog-training exercise for the prison where he was incarcerated died when he drowned in a rain-swollen creek, authorities said.

The man, whose name was not released by prison authorities, died Tuesday in Oyster Creek outside the Stringfellow Unit near Rosharon, about 30 miles south of Houston. His disappearance was initially investigated as an escape until a diver found his body in 15 feet of water.

The convicted robber and burglar, who was serving a 20-year sentence from Harrison County, was training prison dogs used to track escapees, said Michelle Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The prisoner was to "lay track" for the dogs to follow and find the inmate, Lyons said.

The inmate was told to use a nearby bridge to cross the creek, Lyons said.

"The creek had more water in it than usual, but it's not one of the badly flooded ones," Lyons said. "We're not sure why he went into the creek."